21/6/43 - No.2

Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No.10654

MOSQUITOS ATTACK NAZI FLYING BOATS

Led by W ing Commander W.J. Alington, D.F.C., A.F.C., four long-rangeMosquitos of Fighter Command on patrol in the Bay of Biscay last night,shot down a Blohm and Voss 138 flying-boat and sot three others on fire

without loss to themselves* Two and a half of the enemy aircraft were

accounted for by the Bing Commander himself.

The B.V. 138's,

which are of the three-engined twin-fuselage type,are used by the Gormans for shipping reconnaissance. The Mosquitosencountered the first flying just above the sea, Bing Commander Alingtonattacked and saw cannon strikes on the starboard fuselage*

"The engine was in flames" he reported on his return to base after

midnight* "While the B*V*l3B dived towards the sea a mass of flames, all

the other pilots gave it short bursts, A wisp of smoke was the onlytrace left of the flying boat”.

The pilot of one of the Mosquitos felt a slight blow on his aircraft,presumably through being hit by debris from the B.V.138.

The Mosquitos re-formed and proceeded south to Bisoarosse, one of

three lakes about 80 miles south of the Gironde estuary* There, on the water,

wore four 8.V,136*s near a hangar with a B*V*222, a six-engined flying boat,

between them and the shore* Attacks wore made on the first four aircraft,

three of which were left biasing on the lake. Strikes were also scored on

the B*V*222, and a small fire broke out in the port inner engine. One of ,

our fighters also fired his cannon into the open entrance of a hangar i When

the Mosquitos were some miles away on their return journey the pilots and

their observers saw an explosion followed by a largo bright glow over the lake*

But the night's work was not yet complete, A few miles west of lie

Do Sein, three motor 'minesweepers were seen. One of thorn was racked with

cannon fire from mast height* Tho many strikes on the vessel illuminated Its

outline*

During the attack on the flying boats there was fairly strong anti-

aircraft fire from shore defences, and the port elevator of the Wing Oomimnder*s

Mosquito was pierced, but all the fighters returned safely with uninjured crews*

Wing Commander Alington, who took command of tho squadron a few days

before his 37th birthday, left the Royal Naval Reserve when a Sub-Lieutenant

and joined the R*A*P, in 1934* He served a year in submarines. Sinco then

he lias added many hundreds of hours flying to his log book, some 200 hours

being as a night fighter pilot* During that period he destroyed two D0*217*3,

He is a native of Hythe, Kent, and his home is at Berwlck-on-Tweed*